These beachfront mansions were built on land that originally belonged to a mobile home community. At this time, a hike down a dirt trail was required to access the beach. In the late 1980s, the mobile home community closed. The original renovation plan included a multi-story hotel and hundreds of homes. However, the developer and the California Coastal Commission negotiated to only build 100 houses and turn the rest of the undeveloped bluff into a nature preserve known as the Dana Point Headlands. Luckily, you no longer have to hike down a dirt trail to enjoy this beach. There are now 3 beautiful staircase options, and a public elevator to bring you from the parking lot to the beach-front sidewalk. This is because the developer also agreed to build over 11 million dollars of improvements, including restrooms, lifeguards, showers, staircases, and even an elevator. Below, I will be sharing my first visit to Strands with you.
When I arrived, I decided to park in the far north side of the parking lot. This is where you can find one of the staircases and the elevator. I was hoping to take the elevator down, but it was unfortunately temporarily out of service. Luckily, the staircase is beautiful and not too steep. The staircase leads you to a public beach with breathtaking views, as well as the beginning of the beachfront walking trail pictured above. On this trail, I went on a jog from the north to the south end of the beach. The vibe at Strands is so peaceful, making this beach a perfect location for a sunset jog. During my run, I couldn't take my eyes off the incredible beachfront homes. It's crazy to think that the land belonged to a mobile home community not too long ago. Once I reached the southern end of the beach, I took my running shoes off and stepped into the sand. In my opinion, Strands is home to the softest sand in SoCal. I comfortably sat on the pristine sand and began to watch the surfers. Strands Beach surf break is a heavy beach break located near the small cove between the point of the headland and Salt Creek Beach. I have never surfed this break before, but watching the surfers made me add Strands to my surfing bucket list. Everyone in the water was catching perfect waves and they all appeared to be having so much fun. After about half an hour of watching surfers, it began to get dark, so I started to make my way back up to the parking lot. I wanted to choose a different staircase than the one I had walked down earlier, so I took the middle flight of stairs back up to the parking lot. Once I reached the parking lot, I found a bench and took a few moments to relax and soak it all in. Strands is so beautiful and provides an amazing overall beach experience. I am beyond thankful to live down the street from such a beautiful, special place and I am so excited to continue exploring this area.
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